tammy leitner, nbc news. >>> we turn now to a critical health warning for america's mothers, it might shock you to learn the u.s. is the most dangerous place to give birth among developed nations. hundreds of moms dying every year in this country and most of the time the deaths are preventable but why is the mortality rate here so high? here is nbc's kristen dahlgren. >> reporter: tara hanson was 29, active and on top of the world about her first child brandon. >> hi, brandon bear. >> reporter: but within hours of giving birth, she didn't feel well. she told her husband ryan and medical staff. >> did she tell >> she did. we were never able to push the needle to the point where we said we need to do more. >> reporter: six days later, tara died of an infection. >> it's hard to understand. >> reporter: it's an alarming trend. the u.s. has the worst maternal mortality rate in the developed' world, 700 women die every year from pregnancy or childbirth and some 65,000 nearly die. serena williams says she was almost a statistic. after giving birth she was diagnosed with blood clots but only

nbc's tammy leitner has late details. >> reporter: tonight, an urgent manhunt for a gunman that shot and killed a renowned houston cardiologist during morning rush hour. the doctor was riding his bike to work at methodist hospital when the gunman also on a bike opened fire. >> the suspect was on a bicycle, as well drove past, rode past the doctor, turned and fired two shots. the doctor immediately went down. >> reporter: dr. house connect on the team of doctors that treated former president george h.w. bush in 2000. >> dr. house is an expert on cardiology. >> reporter: the 41st president tonight saying mark was a fantastic cardiologist and a good man. i will always be grateful for his exceptional compassionate care. his family is in our prayers. the houston medical community mourning one of their own. not only was he ved by his patients, but mark was highly regarded among his peers and colleagues. tonight, police say they are unsure if the doctor was targeted. >> a lot of cameras, so we're hoping that we can get footage of this and bring this violent criminal into custody where he ne

tammy leitner joined one group at a training facility where more than 1,000 people have gotten a tastethe red planet. >> reporter: in the barren utah desert, it seems like another world. >> welcome to mars. >> reporter: hidden in the harsh dry terrain, the privately run mars desert research station gives scientists, engineers and doctors a feel for what life would be like on the red planet. >> you're exposed to extreme cold, extreme low pressures, extreme heat. it's a very difficult environment to survive in. >> reporter: this team of wilderness doctors spent two weeks on a simulated mission. >> the idea of going to mars, even if it's a one-way trip, certainly appeals to me. >> reporter: most who visit the station will never make it to mars. but the experiments and research they conduct are laying the groundwork for the team that will eventually land there. they live in tight quarters. >> it tastes better than it looks, i promise. >> reporter: eat space food and work in mars-like conditions, where astronauts would face temperatures colder than minus 80 degrees, and unpredictable dust s

. >> nbc's tammy leitner found teens that were changing that one dessert at a time. >> reporter: theseg gardeners grow their own, but until a few years ago, many had never eaten hat a zuchinni tast like? >> no, i didn't even know what run completely by ag you come up with the idea of baking desserts with vegetables? >> we were kids and we didn't like vegetables. that was the start of it to get them to eat vegetables. >> reporter: a challenge considering this is a food desert with limited access to fresh veggies, or grocery stores. despite the odds this 3-year-old business is thriving. >> make zuchinni and you put it into a birthday cake. this is the third year this person ordered it actually. >> reporter: with veggies in each dessert. >> these look like chocolate chip cookies. >> the secret ingredient is jalapenos. >> the company puts 1/3 of the profits back into the community anden than 150 neighborhood kids. >> we're setting in flowers. >> reporter: a lot of these children were taught since they were small children. what made you think a bunch of middle schoolers could run a business

tammy leitner, nbc news, clearwater, florida. >>> some highly emotional reunions are taking place just days after a federal judge ordered that migrant families separated at the border be reunited. they included a mother and daughter from guatemala who reunited in los angeles after about a month apart. a similar scene in florida, another reunion there between a girl and her mother. it's not known how many of the more than 2,000 children separated are now back with their parents. >>> still ahead as we continue tonight, the great escape. a hijacked helicopter swoops into a prison and frees a notorious gangster. >>> also news tonight about living longer and how drinking coffee may play a role. we'll be right back. >>> we're back now with a massive manhunt after a brazen prison escape right out of a hollywood movie. an infamous criminal on the run after jumping aboard a hijacked helicopter at a french prison in broad daylight. and it's not the first time he's broken out from behind bars. nbc's matt bradley with the incredible story. >> reporter: that's france's most notorious convict escapi

tammy leitner, nbc news. >> still ahead, the curious case of brad pitt's style going viral this morningplus the next generation of charlie's angels ready to earn their wings in the upcoming reboot of the tv classic. m, edge of the box, willingham shoots... goooooooaaaaaaaallllllll! that...was...magic. willingham tucks it in and puts theedhampionship to b sweet dreams, nighty night. as long as soccer players celebrate with a slide, fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on carnsurance. pressure, what pressure? the players on the... pressure, what pressure? my gums are irritated. i don't have to worry about that, do i? actually, you do. harmful bacteria lurk just below the gum line. crest gum detoxify works below the gum line to neutralize harmful plaque bacteria and help reverse early gum damage. and, now there's new crest gum & enamel repair. it gives you clinically proven healthier gums and helps repair and strengthen weakened enamel. gum detoxify and gum & enamel repair, from crest. gums are good, so is my check-up! crest. healthy, beautiful smiles for life. your hair

tammy leitner, nbc news, clearwater, florida. >>> coming up, food safety warning, the major recall for a popular brand. >>> a sudden collapse caught on camera in miami beach where authorities say a 12-story condo building set to be demolished instead came tumbling down. one person was critically injured. the debris raining down onto the street. investigators trying to figure out what triggered the accident. >>> a recall tonight involving a snack in a lot of american homes. 16 varieties of ritz crackers and ritz bits being recalled because of the potential risk of salmonella in the whey powder. the company that makes them says no illnesses have been reported. we put the full list on facebook. >>> one fast food chain wants to change the way your family eats dinner. chik-fil-a is taking on the likes of blue apron and amazon by testing out meal kits to go at dozens of locations with ingredients for dishes not on its usual menu like chicken parmesan and enchiladas. >>> up next, summertime and the national past time. the league keeping kids off the streets and inspiring america. young woman

tammy leitner, nbc news, clearwater, florida. >>> coming up, foo safety warning, the major recall for popular brand. but i'm relentless too. mbc doesn't take a day off, and neither will i. and i treat my mbc with new everyday verzenio- the only one of its kind that can be taken every day. in fact, verzenio is a cdk4 & 6 inhibitor for postmenopausal women with hr+, her2- mbc, approved, with hormonal therapy, as an everyday treatment for a relentless disease. verzenio + an ai is proven to help women have significantly more time without disease progression, and more than half of women saw their tumors shrink vs an ai. diarrhea is common, may be severe, and may cause dehydration or infection. before taking verzenio, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection. verzenio may cause low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infection that can lead to death. serious liver problems can occur. symptoms may include tiredness, loss of appetite, stomach pain, and bleeding or bruising more easily than normal. blood clots that can lead to death have also occurre

tammy leitner, nbc news, clearwater, florida. >> support for the landmark roe v. wade supreme court ruling has hit an all-time high. according to the latest nbc news "wall street journal" poll, 71% of americans believe the decision should remain in place. with just 23% saying it should be reversed. that's the highest level of support in the poll's history which dates back to 2005. the latest figures come as president trump's supreme court pick brett kavanagh prepares for his confirmation hearings. some abortion rights advocates fear that kavanagh could undermine, could try to undermine or even overturn roe v. wade. >> crazy weather isn't just here at home. check out this mini twister that swept through a youth baseball game in japan. the dust tomorrow lingered on the ball field before merging to another one. the kids, no fear, look what they did, ran into it to play in the dust devil. officials say no one was hurt. what fun was that. >> you're that age, you run into it, in a game, why not? you're supposed to get your uniform dirty. >> one way to get it dirty witho

tammy leitner, nbc news, clearwater, id fl >>> some highly emotnal reunions are taking place just days after a federal judge ordered that migrant families separated at the border be reunited. they included a mother and daughter from o guatemala whunited in los angeles after about a month apart. a similar scene in florida, another reunion there between a girl and her mother. it's not known how many of the more than 2,000 children separated are now back with their parents. >>> still ahead as we continue tonight, the great escape. a hijacked helicopter prison into and frees a notorious gangster. >>> also news tonight about living longer and how drinking coffee may play a role. we'll be right back."m parallel parking job" goes to..r roll ] ...emily lapier from ames, iowa. this is emily's third nomination and firstin. um...so, just...wow! um, first of all, to my fellow nominees, it is an honor sharing the road with you. and of course, to the progressive snapshot app for giving good drivers the discounts -- no, i have to say it -- for giving goud drivers the dis they deserve. safe driving! f

>>r "today," tammy leitner, nbc news.davce p on the plaza. >> we have a huge crowd on the plaza today. including all of the hatchetts. there are so many here. are there any hatchetts left at >>> boise at 97 and 93 degrees in spokane. as we head through next week, temperatures still stay warm, although they begin to moderate as we hit the midweek. that's good news. for firefighters right now, a very tough situation. t the rest oflook the country, it is going to be a day of heavy rain in the gulf m statesh cooler in the great lakes. severe storms in the central plains, clearingut in the northeast with humidity going down and as we mentioned, high heat out west. we've got so many people here,o we've to get them all on camera. here we go. are you ready sh. >> one, two, three. that's a quick look at your national map. here's an early look at what's going on right wre you are. ice.i love dave all right. i also love this weather out there right now. ns're looking at very nice and dry condit the only thing is, that frontal system

c's tammy leitner is at the coast guard station in clearwater, florida.know the person killed across america and according to the coast guard four of the americans were flown here. if you take a look a the video, can you see peopleho were on a second boat act out into the water to try and help even as the boat has burst into flames. we nha knowt one of the injured was a 22-year-old college grad. her name is stephanie jacobs. spoke with her uncle a few days ago. >> she did ballet dancing from the time she was young all the way through and same with soccer.s soccer iind of in our family and she'sept that tradition. she's always playing. >> she was sitting in the back of the boat which is where the explosio happened. she suffered some very severe injuries. had to have both of her legs putated at the knee. >> she's going to survive. she's going t survive and trying to think of what her life is going to be likewe and wha all -- what we all need to do as a family to get her back to being that ballet dancer and soccer player. >> reporter: her family is on the wa

tammy leitner has late breaking details. >> reporter: tonight, emergency crews rushing to the scene of a plancrash in northwest mexico. the plane, 9 holding passengers and four crew crashed because the wind was too strong accordg to local reports which said they ran out of nway. the crash happened in durango, mexico. it's unknown if there are fatalities but officials say being e injured and rushed to hospitals near the scene.me aeco saying we are working to gather additional information and will provide more details as b thome available and confirmed. our priority is to guarantee is safety of the clients and crew. lester, this just in, initial reports from the u.s. government say there were no americans on board and so far the mexican rn gont has said there are no reported fatalities. >> tammy litner tonight, thank you. >>> let's tu to the latest development what some say this is the next gure at. 3d knockoffs hard to detect. the technology is accessible and so are the guns. tonight, a federal judge has just blocked a release of blueprints f the guns after several states took legal act

. >>> here in the united states, as the government works children withrant their parents, our tammy leitner spent several daysmbeddedith border patrol agents, and it seems at least in one area the administration's zero tolerance policy is not having its intended effect. here's her report. >> reporter: officer jose cono was on the front lines of the immigration crisis. while border a apprehensions down from the 1.6 p millioneak in 2000, this officer from the border town in texas says he's sseen a spikece the trump administration started zero and you guys are seeing an increase, a decrease? >> increase.ea incr. >> reporter: one of the families that crossed t rio grande, anita and her son henry, they were separated for more than a month once they entered the u.s. reunited last night. >> translator: it was like a dream that became a reality. >> reporter: henry turned 6 while in government custody. >> translator: i prayed, too, mommy, so everything would turn out all right. >> reporter: so far, 57 of the 103 children under the age of 5 in government custody have been reunited with their parents.

tammy leitner with the latest on that. tammy, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, craig.gue is freezing the policy for now saying they will continue discussions with the players' association. this is considered a win for those players who took a stand by taking a knee. this morning the nfl calling a time-out on its national protest policy. just two months ago the league's commissioner announcing players must stand for the anthem or remain in the locker room while it's performed. >> we want people to respect the national anthem, we want people to stand, that's all personnel. make sure they treat the moment in a respectful fashion. >> overnight hitting the pause button issuing a joint statement with the players' association which reads in part, no new rules related to the anthem will be enforced for the next few weeks while confidential discussions are ongoing. our shared focus will remain on finding a solution to the anthem issue through mutual good faith commitments outside of litigation. originally the league said if a player took a knee on the field, the team would be s

c's tammy leitner in clearwater, florida, where we're hearing from grief stricken family members. rning, willie. we now know the identity of that american woman who died and'v spoken with her family. also this morning that 22-year-old dancer who h to have both of her legs amputated. we now know she has talhave additiurgeries. this morning heartbreaking new details about the bahamas tourist boat tragedy. doctors inu nas hope the most serious passenger can be trans-pacific partnershiped back today. the dancer and soccer player is slowly coming out of a medically induced coma. he said after the blast stephanie's 13-year-old sister brook kept stephanie talking and conscious. thinks that helped save stephanie's life. >> she's going to survive. we're g sng to pray's going to survive. >> 39-year-old malika jackson from chattanooga databassu ive the blast. she and her husband were wedding ng their 25th anniversary when the body exploded. her husband also seriously injured. >> she and her a husband had very good down to earth relationship. >> c pat owns four seas adomntures. theny running c

tammy leitner in clearwater, florida, with the latest. orter: good morning, willie. the coast guard tells us this situation was so desperate, four of those americans were airlifted here. those americans who were just hoping to have a fun family vacation, and now their lives are forever changed. this morning investigators are looking for clues, hoping to learn why this charter boat carrying 10 american tourists in the bahamas exploded and burst into flames. >> move the boat. >> move the boat. >> nearby a second boat filled with tourists, some fearing another explosion screaming for their captain to move back. >> sir, can we move this boat. >> chris taught this video looking on in horror. >> the whole boat was on fire. people were jumping off the boat. the people were already in the water. so it was like in a movie, like a terrible scene. >> reporter: as the fire raged, some passengers and crew jumped into the shallow water and raced to help. >> doctor, doctor. >> he says there was no first aid kit on his boat, but luckily one of the passeng

nbc's tammy leitner has the latest on thathis morning. ood morning. >> reporter: good morning, craig. the leaguegs freez the policy, for now, saying they're going to continue discussions with the players association. but you know, this is really being considered a win for those players who took a stand e. taking a k this morning, the nfl calling a time-out on its controversial national anthem protest policy. just two months ago, he league's commissioner announcing players must stand for the anthem or remain in the locker room while it's performed. >> we want people to be respectful at the national wthem. wet people to stand. that's all personnel. and make sure that they treat this moment in a respectful n. fash >> reporter: but overnight, the tal hitting the pause button, issuing a jointment with the players association that reads in part, "no new rules relating t the anthem will be issued or enforced for the next several weeks while these confidential dcussions are ongoing," adding, "our shared focusai will r on finding a solution to the

nbc's tammy leitner reports. >> reporter: this morning, the nfl calling a timeout on the controversialnal anthem protest policies. just two months ago the league's commissioner announcing players must stand for the anthem or remain in the locker room while it's performed. >> we want people to be respectful, stand. that's all personnel. make sure that they treat this moment in a respectful fashion. >> reporter: but overnight, the nfl hitting the pause button issuing a joint statement with the players association that reads in part, no new rules relating to the anthem issued or enforced for the next couple of weeks. adding, our shared focus to find a resolution to the issue outside of litigation. originally the league said if a player took a neon the field, the team would be subject to a fine and the player punishment left up to the team. >> we were back two years ago without a rule in place. >> reporter: for more than two seasons, players taking a knee in the national anthem to protest police brutality. president trump is one of the harshest critics of the protest. >> wouldn't you love

tammy leitner, thank you for the report. >>> he's still in the clear but what are the chances that rogerill be indicted? up next, a leaderboard breakdown. >>> the next is not only why for robert mueller but it's getting tighter. er their dreams they're handing us more than mail er their dreams they're handing us their business and while we make more e-commerce deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country, we never forget... that your business is our business the united states postal service. priority: you ♪ you might be missing something.y healthy. your eyes. that's why there's ocuvite. ocuvite helps replenish nutrients your eyes can lose as you age. it has lutein, zeaxanthin and omega-3. ocuvite. be good to your eyes. i've been making blades here at gillette for 20 years. there's a lot of innovation that goes into making america's #1 shave. precision machinery and high-quality materials from around the world. nobody else even comes close. now starting at $7.99. gillette. the best a man can get. you like to be in control. especially when it comes to important stuff. like, say... y

. >> i actually want to show some video from our nbc correspondent tammy leitner who is in south texas with her 6-year-old son after more than a month. when you have these families here and they hear words from president trump and the administration saying don't come, it's illegal, why are you even coming to bring your kids, how do you come to terms with their understanding of that, that knowing ultimately there are some of these families who have children under the age of 5 with the distance of miles between them? >> well, first of all, we still have the rule of law with asylum and they still have an opportunity to apply for asylum. whether you enter the united states illegally or legally. so that shouldn't change. if a person flees with just the clothes on their back and with a young child, you know they have to be fleeing for their life. not many people would do that. and that is also seen as a reason in some cases of discretion in asylum, all things being equal, that a judge or an officer will realize that this is truly a legitimate case. so there's still -- i think that there's st

first let's go to tammy leitner. she's in sweltering dallas, texas, this morning. mmy, good morning. >> good morning. this is normally a busy running trail but only a few brave souls out this morning. that's because temperatures are expected to climb into the 100s today. >> it's so dang hot out. >> reporter: today folks in the southwest and west are sweating through blistering heat. temperatures in the triple digits. >> oh, my god, in my car it was like 113. >> reporter: houston is opening five cooling centers across the city. officials ready in case it gets worse. >> we see we need more in other parts of the city. we are prepared to open even more. >> reporter: in phoenix, where temperatures are expected to soar to 115 today, rescue crews responding to numerous reports of hikers suffering from heat-related issues. in the east from d.c. to new york, heavy downpours drenching areas already staggering from a weekend of severe storms. dangerous flash floods causing havoc throughout the mid-atlantic. this 20 foot deep sinkhole opening up near germantown, maryland, closi